1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention described herein pertain to the field of weapon systems and methods. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, these embodiments enable an operator to interact with at least one weapon and/or at least one sensor over a network such as a LAN or the Internet wherein one or more sensors may be configured to simulate a weapon and wherein weapons and simulated weapons may be integrated with a video surveillance system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A network allows multiple computers or other hardware components to communicate with one another. Networks such as a serial bus, LAN, WAN or public network are used to locally or distally couple computers or components. Public networks such as the Internet have limitations in throughput, latency and security that restrict the amount of data, time delay of the data and type of data that is sent on the public network with respect to private networks such as a LAN.
Current small arms weapons systems are not network enabled devices and to date only allow for remote firing of a single rifle at a time over a direct hardwired link. Current systems consist of a one to one correspondence between an analog user interface and a hardwired sniper rifle with a direct cable link on the order of tens of meters maximum distance between the user and the rifle. Current systems allow for a single operator to manually switch the source of video to display between a limited number of collocated and bore-aligned optical scopes each attached to a corresponding sniper rifle. These systems only allow a single user to control a single weapon at a time or view the output of a single optical scope at a time. Training utilizing these systems requires live fire and weapons that are generally significantly more expensive than a sensor device that may be utilized as a simulated weapon. When multiple threats or targets appear to a group of small arms weapons operators, a problem arises in assigning particular targets to particular operators of the weapons. Situations arise where multiple operators chose a particular target while leaving another threat un-targeted. In summary, current remotely operated weapons systems (weapon) are incapable of managing multiple simultaneous threats as there is no communication between operators or any method of analyzing or assigning weapons to targets.
A network weapon simulator system allows for remote operation of a sensor acting as a simulated weapon without requiring direct physical collocation of a user with the simulated weapon. Remotely operating a simulated weapon may include aiming the simulated weapon and firing the simulated weapon for example. To date there are no known network weapon systems or network weapon simulator systems operating over a network that allow for sensors and weapons to be transparently substituted for one another. In addition, these systems do not allow for a sensor to be utilized as a simulated weapon wherein the sensor may later be substituted for a real weapon or wherein a real weapon may be substituted for by a sensor. Current systems do not allow for multiple remote weapons and/or sensors and/or sensors configured as simulated weapons to be dynamically discovered, allocated and utilized by one or more operators. Current systems consist of limitations in mechanical and network capability that limit their use to niche situations such as sniper scenarios with no possibility of simulated weapon functionality. These systems do not allow for simulating or managing multiple simultaneous threats whether the threats themselves are simulated or real or whether the weapons themselves are simulated or real.
Furthermore, current video surveillance systems allow for the remote collection of data from sensors. These systems do not allow for integration with real weapons or for a sensor to be utilized as a simulated weapon wherein the sensor may later be substituted for a real weapon or wherein a real weapon may be substituted for by a sensor. Current surveillance systems do not allow for multiple remote weapons and/or sensors and/or sensors configured as simulated weapons to be dynamically discovered via the video surveillance system and allocated and utilized by one or more operators. Current surveillance systems do not allow for the remote control of sensors coupled with the surveillance system or for the control of sensors external to the surveillance system. Current video surveillance systems simply allow for a single operator to manually switch the source of video to display between a limited number of video cameras generally. Current video surveillance systems are therefore monolithic closed solutions that are static and cannot be augmented with real weapons, simulated weapons or integrated data and control exchange with an existing remotely operated network weapon system. These systems fail to allow for training and scenario planning in order to effectively evaluate and plan for the addition of real weapons with an existing surveillance system. Furthermore, these systems may be utilized to view multiple threats, however these systems are incapable of managing multiple simultaneous threats and assigning weapons to particular threats for example since no system or method of integrating weapons or simulated weapons into a video surveillance network exists.
Current missile systems generally allow for remote operation from a direct hardwire link. Missile systems are typically hardwired to controller stations and typically do not allow for firing in the event that the individual or hardware responsible for controlling and firing the weapon is somehow incapacitated. Missile system operators are only capable of taking control of one weapon in the system at a time and sensors are generally limited to one radar screen. There are no known missile systems capable of operation over a network that allow for the substitution of sensors for actual missiles and visa versa. There is no known method for integrating a missile system with an existing video surveillance system. Generally, missile systems assign one missile to one threat, which is a trivial problem that may be solved for instance by assigning the nearest missile to the nearest threat or a missile on the front of a ship to an incoming threat approaching the front of the ship for example. Since missiles are expensive, they are assumed be completely effective in neutralizing a threat. Hence, once a missile targets a threat, other missiles are simply assigned to other threats.
Other remote operated weapons systems include the Predator aircraft and other remotely piloted air vehicles. A Predator aircraft does not contain sensors and weapons that may be substituted for one another and does not contain simulated weapons accessible over a network. In addition, there is no way for an operator to control more than one Predator at a time or switch between a plurality of aircraft since the operator interface for a Predator includes a single view of an aircraft and is operated by a conventional pilot as if actually flying the aircraft via a ground based cockpit. There is no known method for integrating a remotely piloted vehicle with an existing video surveillance system. This type of weapon system engages one target at a time and is incapable of managing multiple simultaneous threats. When multiple remotely piloted air vehicles are in the same vicinity, the same problem arises in assigning a given threat to a particular remotely piloted air vehicle. For example, situations arise where more than one remotely piloted air vehicle target the same threat, leaving another threat un-targeted.
These systems fail to achieve maximum force multiplication allowing for a minimal number of operators to operate a maximum number of weapons. More specifically, these systems fail to utilize sensors as simulated weapons for training and scenario planning in order to effectively evaluate and plan for the addition of real weapons. Furthermore, these systems do not integrate with existing resources such as a video surveillance system. For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a network weapon system and method.